Tomato Fruit Samples Research Articles

Method validation and residue analysis of fluoxapiprolin and its metabolites on tomato by QuEChERS method combination with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

ABSTRACT Field experiments were conducted to investigate the dissipation and persistence of fluoxapiprolin and its metabolites (BDM-pyrazole, Pyrazole-acetic acid, Pyrazole-methyl sulphinyl acid, Pyrazole-alanine and Pyrazole-alanine oxopropanoic acid). For method validation, all the samples were spiked with fluoxapiprolin and its metabolites at different levels. The mean recoveries of fluoxapiprolin and its metabolites were more than 75%. For field application, the treatments consisted of one control and two different doses of Fluoxapiprolin 20 g L−1 as suspension concentrate (25 and 50 g ha−1). Tomato fruit samples were collected at random in each replication separately at 0, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days after third application. Soil sample was collected at random in each plot separately at 21 days after the third application. Initial residues of fluoxapiprolin were found to be 0.08 and 0.11 mg kg−1 at 25 and 50 g a.i.ha−1. Residues of fluoxapiprolin were observed up to 7 days of spray. No metabolites of fluoxapiprolin were found in tomato samples. Soil samples collected on the 21st day after the third application did not reveal the presence of fluoxapiprolin and its metabolites residues at both the doses.

Effectiveness and Biochemical Impact of Flubendiamide and Flonicamid Insecticides against Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and Residue Dissipation in Cherry Tomato Plants and Soil under Greenhouse Conditions

Abstract We investigated the effectiveness and biochemical impact of the insecticides flubendiamide and flonicamid compared with azadirachtin and acetamiprid against the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Grennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) infesting cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme L.) grown under greenhouse conditions. The dissipation of both insecticides in the plants and in the soil also was determined using the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) and liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry methods. Both insecticides were more effective for reducing B. tabaci populations than were either acetamiprid or azadirachtin. Biochemical analysis revealed that esterase may play an important role in whitefly adaptation to flubendiamide and flonicamid. The QuEChERS method was determined suitable for quickly detecting residues of flubendiamide and flonicamid in complex matrices. The recovery rates on tomato fruit samples were 92.8–106.0%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) range of 0.46–2.65%. For soil samples, the recovery rates were 81.3–95.7% with RSDs of 1.20–3.86%. We further determined that flubendiamide had dissipation half-lives of 3.13, 3.63, and 3.68 d in tomato fruit, tomato leaves, and soil, respectively. Flonicamid had half-lives of 4.25, 3.54, and 2.60 d in fruit, leaves, and soil, respectively. These results suggest that preharvest intervals of 3 and 7 d are appropriate for flubendiamide and flonicamid, respectively, in cherry tomato production. The risk quotient was >1 by the day 5 after application; however, that value declined to <1 on day 7 after application, indicating little long-term risk to human health.

Assessment of vitamin- and mineral-content stability of tomato fruits as a potential raw material to produce functional food

Background: Tomatoes are a valuable source of biologically active substances (vitamin C, lycopene, lutein, macro- and microelements) and can be used to produce functional foods.Objective: Nine varieties of tomato fruits, featuring a spectrum of colors such as red, yellow, and dark hues (brown, burgundy), were examined. These tomatoes were cultivated in open ground in both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Methods: The mineral composition of tomato fruit samples was determined using an atomic emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma, mass fractions of vitamin C and carotenoids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.Results: The highest vitamin C content was observed in the fruits of tomato varieties Viagra and Chocolate, cultivated in the villages of Khokhol and Nikonovo in the Voronezh Region, Russia, and in the variety Budenovka, grown in Nikonovo. Additionally, the highest lycopene content was identified in the fruits of The Black Prince, cultivated in the agro-town Samokhvalovichi, Belarus; Volgogradskiy skorospelyi, grown in Nikonovo; Bull's Heart, cultivated in Khokhol in the Voronezh Region, Russia; and Black Heart of Bull, cultivated in Khokhol and Nikonovo respectively. Notably, tomatoes of the varieties The Black Prince (agro-town Samokhvalovichi, Belarus), Chocolate, Black Heart of Bull, and Bull's Heart (Khokhol, Russia) exhibited a significant amount of lutein. Furthermore, tomatoes of the variety Budenovka, grown in Khokhol, Russia, displayed high mineral saturation. Varieties Bull's Heart and Black Heart of Bull, grown in the same region, were found to be rich in macro- and trace elements (K, Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Fe). The optimal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (1:1.5) was observed in varieties Bull's Forehead, Black Heart of Bull, and Budenovka, while the optimal calcium-to-magnesium ratio (1:0.7) was present in the fruits of tomato varieties Volgogradskiy skorospelyi, Bull's Forehead, Budenovka, Black Heart of Bull, Bull's Heart, and Orange, grown in various regions of the Russian Federation. Conclusion: The inclusion of biologically active substances, notably lycopene, lutein, Vitamin C, and essential minerals (Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus), positions tomatoes as valuable sources for developing functional foods and those designed to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The composition of tomatoes varies significantly based on the fruit's color and the cultivation location. This variability underscores the importance of considering these factors to achieve the desired level of functional ingredients in the final product.Keywords: tomato fruits, biologically active substances, vitamin C, lycopene, lutein, macro- and microelements.

Development and application of monoclonal antibody-based dot-ELISA and colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus that has become a great concern to tomato production industry. Due to the lack of resistant cultivars, precise detection of ToBRFV is essential to prevent the spread of ToBRFV. In this study, we produced highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibodies against ToBRFV and established dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) and colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip (CGICS)-based methods for ToBRFV detection. These two methods could specifically detect ToBRFV without cross-reaction with seven tested tobamoviruses and three frequently occurring tomato-infecting viruses. Sensitivity analysis showed that the limit of detection of the established dot-ELISA and CGICS methods reached up to 1:6400 and 1:10,000 (w/v, g/mL) dilution of ToBRFV-infected tomato tissue, respectively. Further analyses using field-collected tomato foliar and fruit samples showed that the results obtained by dot-ELISA and CGICS were consistent with those obtained by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The established methods here allow for specific, sensitive, and robust detection of ToBRFV, and will be helpful for precise monitoring and early warning of ToBRFV.

Effects of Bio-Slurry and Chemical Fertilizer Application on Soil Properties and Food Safety of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.)

This study evaluated the effects of bio-slurry (BS) and chemical fertilizer (CF) application on soil properties and food safety of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.). A field experiment consisting of 100% BS (5 ton BS ha−1), 100% CF (90 kg N·ha−1 + 30 kg P·ha−1 + 13 kg S·ha−1), and control was conducted. Soil samples from all the treatments were collected for their physico-chemical characteristics. The level of ten heavy metals in experimental soil and tomato fruit samples was also determined. Compared to CF and control, the application of BS improved soil physico-chemical characteristics. The BC significantly reduced the mean concentrations of Cd and Mn in the tomato fruit samples. The mean concentration of Ni (18.24 ± 0.61, 23.9 ± 0.3, and 9.66 ± 1.2 mg kg−1) and Mn (15.4 ± 2.4, 38 ± 3.3 and 21.8 ± 0.99 mg kg−1) in tomato fruit samples of BS-treated, CF-treated, and control soil, respectively, was above the safety limit set by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization for human consumption. Similarly, the mean concentration of Cd (7.98 ± 0.72 and 3.29 ± 0.37 mg kg−1) in tomato fruit samples of CF-treated and control soil was above the safety limit. From this perspective, the consumption of these tomato fruits could be unsafe for human health with respect to Ni, Mn, and Cd toxicities. The application of BS could remediate the Cd toxicities, yet other scenarios of phytoremediation would be praiseworthy to address Ni, Cd, and Ni toxicities.

Application of Starch-based Edible Coating on Tomato and Its Effect during Storage

The appropriate postharvest treatment is required for the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) because it is a perishable commodity. Common procedures for maintaining quality and extending its shelf life is applying storage at low temperatures. Another alternatif is an application of coating on the tomatoes. Starch-based coating is widely used due to its positive effects on the agricultural commodities. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of various coating materials and sprayer nozzle size on the physical and chemical characteristics of tomatoes during storage. This study used an experimental method with a completely randomized design method with 2 factors, namely variations in the type of main coating material (P): canna starch (P1), potato starch (P2), sweet potato starch (P3) and variations in sprayer nozzle size. (N): 0.6 mm (N1); 1.0 mm (N2); 1.5 mm (N3). Each treatment was performed three times. The findings of the research show that the type of main coating material and variations in the diameter of the sprayer nozzle can maintain the brightness level and total soluble solids value of tomatoes on day 6 observation. The selected treatments are tomato fruit samples coated with sweet potato starch, and the sprayer nozzle diameter is 1.0 mm.

Occurrence and Distribution of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Infecting Tomato Crop in Saudi Arabia.

During the growing season of 2021-2022, a total of 145 symptomatic tomato leaf and fruit samples were collected from different locations in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia, showing a moderate-to-severe mosaic with dark green wrinkling, blistering, narrowing, and deformation with necrosis spot on tomato leaves, while irregular brown necrotic lesions, deformation, and yellowing spots rendering the fruits non-marketable were observed on tomato fruits. These samples were tested serologically against important tomato viruses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the obtained results showed that 52.4% of symptomatic tomato samples were found positive for Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), wherein 12 out of 76 samples were singly infected; however, 64 out of 145 had mixed infection. A sample with a single infection of ToBRFV was used for mechanical inoculation into a range of different host plants; symptoms were observed weekly, and the presence of the ToBRFV was confirmed by ELISA and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A total RNA was extracted from selected ELISA-positive samples, and RT-PCR was carried out using specific primers F-3666 and R-4718, which amplified a fragment of 1052 bp. RT-PCR products were sequenced in both directions, and partial genome nucleotide sequences were submitted to GenBank under the following accession numbers: MZ130501, MZ130502, and MZ130503. BLAST analysis of Saudi isolates of ToBRFV showed that the sequence shared nucleotide identities (99-99.5%) among them and 99-100% identity with ToBRFV isolates in different countries. A ToBRFV isolate (MZ130503) was selected for mechanical inoculation and to evaluate symptom severity responses of 13 commonly grown tomato cultivars in Saudi Arabia. All of the tomato cultivars showed a wide range of symptoms. The disease severity index of the tested cultivars ranged between 52% and 96%. The importance ToBRFV disease severity and its expanding host range due to its resistance breaking ability was discussed.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling reveals the mechanisms of color and taste development in cherry tomato cultivars

Fruit color and taste are important quality characters of cherry tomatoes. The present study analyzed the genes and metabolites in the three cherry tomatoes with different fruit colors (red, green, and yellow) at the maturity stage to characterize the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying fruit color and taste. Profiling identified 627 compounds grouped into 37 classes and 25,106 uniquely expressed genes in cherry tomato fruit samples. Significant variations were detected in all three cherry tomatoes. In addition, association analysis depicted that the differentially expressed genes and differentially accumulated metabolites were mainly associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathways, and carotenoid pathway which are likely to be the key metabolites and genes underlying the differences for colors among the cherry tomato fruits. Overall, these findings revealed the basis of mechanisms underlying fruit color and taste development and provided valuable information for the genetic improvement of cherry tomatoes.

Environment-friendly and biodegradable a-Fe2O3/C20H38O11nanocomposite growth to lengthen the Solanum lycopersicum storage process

In this work, the growth of enviro-friendly and biodegradable α-Fe2O3/C20H38O11 nanocomposite is reported by means of a real time application to prolong the storage life of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum). A low temperature technique is used to prepare the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles to obtain a crystalline nanopowder. XRD confirms the phase formation and crystalline nature of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The surface morphology and elemental analysis of α-Fe2O3/C20H38O11 nanocomposite is conducted by SEM and EDX. Nanocomposite exhibits excellent antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Tomato fruit samples are coated with two different concentrations of α-Fe2O3/C20H38O11 nanocomposite with 5% UC1A, UC2A and 3% UC1B, UC2B; and uncoated samples UC1, UC2 are stored at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C) and refrigerator temperature (4 °C) respectively for ascorbic acid (vitamin C) analysis on days 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16. Our study revealed that a 3% concentration of α-Fe2O3/C20H38O11 nanocomposite material is quite potent in maintaining quality aspects of the tomato fruit with no decline in vitamin C under refrigerated conditions up to the 16th day. FTIR analysis of all samples was done to determine the functional groups present in tomato samples after storage. Atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) was used to analyse the content of Fe in tomato samples.

Quantitative Extraction and Evaluation of Tomato Fruit Phenotypes Based on Image Recognition.

Tomato fruit phenotypes are important agronomic traits in tomato breeding as a reference index. The traditional measurement methods based on manual observation, however, limit the high-throughput data collection of tomato fruit morphologies. In this study, fruits of 10 different tomato cultivars with considerable differences in fruit color, size, and other morphological characters were selected as samples. Constant illumination condition was applied to take images of the selected tomato fruit samples. Based on image recognition, automated methods for measuring color and size indicators of tomato fruit phenotypes were proposed. A deep learning model based on Mask Region-Convolutional Neural Network (R-CNN) was trained and tested to analyze the internal structure indicators of tomato fruit. The results revealed that the combined use of these methods can extract various important fruit phenotypes of tomato, including fruit color, horizontal and vertical diameters, top and navel angles, locule number, and pericarp thickness, automatically. Considering several corrections of missing and wrong segmentation cases in practice, the average precision of the deep learning model is more than 0.95 in practice. This suggests a promising locule segmentation and counting performance. Vertical/horizontal ratio (fruit shape index) and locule area proportion were also calculated based on the data collected here. The measurement precision was comparable to manual operation, and the measurement efficiency was highly improved. The results of this study will provide a new option for more accurate and efficient tomato fruit phenotyping, which can effectively avoid artificial error and increase the support efficiency of relevant data in the future breeding work of tomato and other fruit crops.

Investigation and probabilistic health risk assessment of pesticide residues in cucumber, tomato, and okra fruits from Khuzestan, Iran.

In this study, 30 pesticide residues in 45 fresh-eating cucumber, tomato, and okra fruit samples collected from the Khuzestan province as the main agricultural products in Iran using the QuEChERS extraction method were analyzed. In addition, noncarcinogen and carcinogen health risk assessments were evaluated. Results indicated that 93% of cucumber samples had at least one pesticide, of course, less than the maximum residue limit (MRL). All tomato and okra fruit samples were contaminated by diazinon. All pesticides detected in tomato samples were below national MRL except for thiamethoxam in four samples. In okra fruit samples, all detected diazinon and malathion, but only tebuconazole fungicide exceeded MRL. In addition, the hazard index (HI) was 0.23 and 1.06 in cucumber samples, 0.33 and 1.51 in tomato samples, and 5.5E-03 and 0.025 in okra fruit samples in adults and children, respectively. The use of cucumber and tomato may have notable risks in the short term in children group age. Ranking based on total CR was 1.2E-05 in tomato, 7.7E-06 for cucumber, and in okra 9.1E-11 because of the difenoconazole residue. However, significant carcinogenic risk threatens cucumber and tomato consumers.

Laser capture of tomato pericarp tissues for microscale carotenoid analysis by supercritical fluid chromatography.

Plant organs and tissues are comprised of an array of cell types often superimposed on a gradient of developmental stages. As a result, the ability to analyze and understand the synthesis, metabolism, and accumulation of plant biomolecules requires improved methods for cell- and tissue-specific analysis. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the world's most valuable fruit crop and is an important source of health-promoting dietary compounds, including carotenoids. Furthermore, tomato possesses unique genetic activities at the cell and tissue levels, making it an ideal system for tissue- and cell-type analysis of important biochemicals. A sample preparation workflow was developed for cell-type-specific carotenoid analysis in tomato fruit samples. Protocols for hyperspectral imaging of tomato fruit samples, cryoembedding and sectioning of pericarp tissue, laser microdissection of specific cell types, metabolite extraction using cell wall digestion enzymes and pressure cycling, and carotenoid quantification by supercritical fluid chromatography were optimized and integrated into a working protocol. The workflow was applied to quantify carotenoids in the cuticle and noncuticle component of the tomato pericarp during fruit development from the initial ripening to full ripe stages. Carotenoids were extracted and quantified from cell volumes less than 10nL. This workflow for cell-type-specific metabolite extraction and quantification can be adapted for the analysis of diverse metabolites, cell types, and organisms.

Environmental Sustainability: Bioactivity of Leucaena leucocephala Leaves and Pesticide Residue Analysis in Tomato Fruits

Field studies were conducted on the application of Leucaena leucocephala leaf extracts as an alternative to carbofuran a synthetic nematicide, while possible residues of carbofuran in tomato fruits were also analysed. Acetone, methanol and petroleum ether fractions of the leaves of L. leucocephala were applied at 200 mg/mL in variants of 100 mL, 150 mL and 200 mL to a naturally nematode infested field. Comparison was made with carbofuran a synthetic insecticide and nematicide. Samples of tomato fruits from carbofuran treated and untreated beds were extracted with ethyl acetate for residual pesticide analysis to ascertain the exceedance of the maximum residue limit (MRL). Results revealed that pesticide residue was significantly (p = 0.05) higher in plots treated with carbofuran compared with standard MRL for carbofuran in tomatoes. Crude extracts of L. leucocephala were as effective as carbofuran, while the fraction was however significantly better in producing higher numbers of fruits and reduced nematode population in root and soil of tomato plants.

Bioactivity of Leucaena leucocephala Leaves on Meloidogyne incognita and Pesticide Residue in Tomato Fruits

Safety issues on the residual effect of pesticides and their metabolites on fruits and vegetables are of utmost importance. Synthetic pesticides remain in fruit and vegetables after harvest causing great health hazards to the consumers. Field studies were conducted on the evaluation of Leucaena leucocephala leaves as an alternative to the use of synthetic nematicide, while possible residues of carbofuran in tomato fruits were also analysed. Acetone, methanol and petroleum ether fractions of the leaves of L. leucocephala were applied at 200 mg/mL in variants of 100 mL, 150 mL and 200 mLto a naturally nematode infested field. Comparison was made with carbofuran a synthetic nematicide. Samples of tomato fruits from carbofuran treated and untreated beds were extracted with ethyl acetate for residual pesticide analysis to ascertain the exceedance of the maximum residue limit (MRL). Results revealed that pesticide residue was significantly (P=0.05) higher in plots treated with carbofuran compared with standard MRL for carbofuran in tomatoes. Crude extracts of L. leucocephala were as effective as carbofuran, while the fraction was however significantly better in producing more numbers of fruits and reduced nematode population in root and soil.

Isolation and Identification of the Fungi Causing Tomato Fruit Rot Disease in the Vicinity of Tandojam, Sindh

Background: The post-harvest tomato fruit rot disease is common threat to the tomato fruit, causing huge economic loss as revealed by (GOP, 2018). The present study was conducted for isolatation and identification of causative agent of tomato fruit rot in order to formulate the proper management stretegies. Methods: Study was conducted in three phases. Phase one included collection of tomato fruit samples from vicinity of Tandojam. In phase two pathogens were isolated from the samples at laboratory, while in the phase three pathogens were identified using standard procedures. Result: The experimental results indicated Alternaria solani as the main cause of post-harvest tomato fruit rot. The symptoms observed were presence of brown to black rot lesions on tomato fruits with distinct rings ranging from small pin-heads to whole surface of fruit. A total of six different fungi viz., Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Alternaria solani, Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizopus stolonifer were found to be associated with post harvest tomato rot. Significantly higher infection was recorded for A. solani (53.667%) followed by A. niger (16.333%) and G. candidum (13.00%). The lowest infection percentage was observed for F. oxysporum (2.333%), followed by A. alternata (4.00%) and R. stolonifer (9.00%). A. solani produced aerial mycelium with yellowish to reddish diffusible pigments. A. niger cultures were typically black and colonies were initially whitish to yellow and later became brown to black in colour. G. candidum produced white and nonaerial colonies. F. oxysporum produced circular, aerial mycelium initially white, later changed to light pink. R. stolonifer produced whitish to grey fuzzy colonies.

Pre-harvest treatment for reduction of foodborne pathogens and microbial load on tomatoes

A new bactericide comprised of two chemicals, levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was evaluated for its efficacy on tomatoes to reduce contamination by foodborne pathogens at pre-harvest stage. Two approaches, one as prevention and the other as the treatment, were compared on Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Listeria monocytogenes contaminated tomato plants. Results obtained from inoculation studies on tomato plants confirmed that this bactericide reduced the count of Salmonella, STEC, and L. monocytogenes populations substantially (P < 0.05) when compared with water and chlorine treatment. Results obtained from spray treatment on tomato plants with commercial product of “FIT-L” (1:88 diluted in water, v/v; final concentration at 0.5% levulinic acid plus 0.05% SDS) indicated that total average aerobic bacteria counts were 5.8 and 4.1 log CFU/fruit before and after treatment, respectively. Average reduction was 1.7 log CFU/fruit (P < 0.05). The total coliform counts before and after treatment was 4.2 and 3.0 log CFU/fruit, respectively. Average reduction was 1.2 log CFU/fruit (P < 0.05). Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from all tomato fruit (200) collected before and after treatments were negative. For isolation of Listeria demonstrated that eight of 100 tomato fruit before treatments were positive, including 4 as L. ivanovii, 2 as L. monocytogenes, and 2 as L. grayi. However, all tomato fruit samples (100) after treatment were negative for Listeria. Results revealed that the application of this organic bactericide was effective for reduction of foodborne pathogens and microbial loads in pre-harvest tomatoes.

국내 작물의 배양 가능한 미생물 확인 및 유용 미생물 분리 방법 연구

In this study, we investigated culturable bacterial abundance in various crops. Total culturable aerobic bacteria in tomato plants were enumerated on NA and it showed that the amounts of viable bacterial cells were changed among the different parts of the plants (roots, stems, and fruits), ranging between log 1 and 4 per g sample. To investigate the bacterial abundance dynamics in different crops, culturable aerobic bacterial cell numbers were enumerated on NA and compared between the samples (tomato fruit, sesame leaf, and green onion) harvested freshly from one field trial (Yangsan, Korea). In this trial, the number of total culturable aerobic bacteria of the samples were 8 times higher in sesame leaves and green onions compared to the tomato fruits in the field. Interestingly, culturable aerobic bacteria on MRS were only found in sesame leaves, whereas lactic acid bacteria were not detected in tomato fruit and green onion samples in this field. We also found that the field location (Yangsan, Gangneung, or Busan) influenced the number of culturable aerobic bacteria on the surface of the crops. Tomato samples freshly harvested from the different field locations were tested and showed that the amounts of culturable aerobic bacteria on NA and MRS agar were significantly different based on the field locations of the samples. Finally, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from all the tomato and sesame leaf samples used in this study, showing 20 and 28 morphological diversity. With these isolates, we will be able to conduct further biological and functional investigation to develop a new probiotic strain originated from the crops in Korea.

In Vitro and In Vivo Antifungal Activity of Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) and Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Essential Oils and Functional Extracts Against Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

In this study, hydrodistillation was used to obtain essential oils (EOs) from pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) and co-hydrodistillation (addition of fatty acid ethyl esters as extraction co-solvents) was used to obtain functional extracts (FEs). Antifungal activity of EOs and FEs was evaluated by determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger. The results showed that pepper (Piper nigrum) and clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) essential oils and their functional extracts are effective in vitro at concentrations from 400 to 500 ppm after 10 days of culturing. The essential oils and functional extracts were used on tomato fruit samples at three different concentrations: 350, 400, and 450 ppm5. Clove essential oil reduced the growth of Aspergillus niger from 50% to 70% and Fusarium oxysporum to 40%. The functional extracts (FEs) of clove and pepper, mixed with ethyl decanoate (FEs-C10), were the best combination for protecting the tomato fruit in vivo against both phytopathogenic fungi. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify eugenol as the principal compound in clove oil and limonene, sabinene, and β-caryophyllene in pepper oil.

Апробація методики вимірювання вмісту залишкових кількостей пестицидів у плодах томатів

A pprobation of method was studied, the values which characterizing the suitability of the developed and tested method measuring a pesticides residual content in tomatoes have been established. It is established that the working range of measurement of pesticide residues is from 0.01 mg/kg to 1.0 mg/kg, the error of the test results within the working range does not exceed 10%. Percentage of xenobiotics extracted from samples was established in studies of tomatoes samples artificially enriched with pesticides. The percentage of extraction is in the range of 80% to 110%, the coefficient of variation does not exceed 5%. The stability of the technique is established for 6 months in a series of in-laboratory studies of reference samples. The technique was tested in the analysis of 53 samples of tomato fruits, 5 samples of tomato paste and 10 samples of tomato juice. According to the results of chromatographic control by chromatograms of 47 tomato fruits samples, no xenobiotics were detected, one sample of tomatoes and five samples of tomato paste with trace amounts of target pesticides were detected (azoxystrobin, deltamethrin, dimethomorph, metalaxyl-M, pyraclostrobin) according to the Ukraine and the EU hygiene standards.

Effect of Chitosan Coating on Physiological Responses and Nutritional Qualities of Tomato Fruits during Postharvest Storage

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of chitosan coating on physiological responses and nutritional qualities of tomato fruits at postharvest storage. There were four treatments of chitosan viz. T0 (control), T1 (0.10%), T2 (0.20%) and T3 (0.30%), and two storage conditions viz. in refrigerator (4°C) and room temperature (≈23-25°C). The matured light yellow tomato fruit samples were collected at 10, 20, 30 and 50 days after postharvest storage to assess physiological parameters viz. shelf life and weight loss as well as to determine lycopene and mineral constituents viz. Ca, Mg, P, S, Na and K. The mean weight loss of tomato fruits were 0.64, 1.28, 1.59 and 2.28% at 4°C, while it was 0.88, 1.84, 2.60 and 4.80% at room temperature at 10, 20, 30 and 50 days after postharvest storage, respectively. The shelf life of tomato fruits ranged between 58.3-100.0, 50.0-100.0, 33.3-75.0 and 16.7-66.8% at 4°C, while the ranges were 66.8-100.0, 50.0-100.0, 33.3-75.0 and 0.0-41.8% at room temperature at 10, 20, 30 and 50 days after postharvest storage, respectively. As regards to weight loss and shelf life, the study results inferred that chitosan coating with 0.2% solution is useful at postharvest storage of fruits. The study results revealed that storage temperatures (4°C and ≈23-25°C) had no effect on the total contents of different mineral element of tomato fruits but lycopene content reduced almost twice at refrigerated condition. On the other hand, the effect of chitosan coating on Ca, Mg, P, S, Na and K contents of tomato fruits at different days after postharvest storage were highly significant at both conditions. Finally, the study results concluded that 0.2% chitosan based coatings in tomato fruits proved to extend the shelf life by decreasing the decay incidence and weight loss, and refrigerated condition is better than that of room temperature.